High Moon Studios has done an admirable job adapting Transformers to the video game realm. Its first stab at the franchise, War for Cybertron, managed to capture the act of going from vehicle to robot perfectly. The simple press of… Continue Reading →

High Moon Studios has done an admirable job adapting Transformers to the video game realm. Its first stab at the franchise, War for Cybertron, managed to capture the act of going from vehicle to robot perfectly. The simple press of the L3 button lets players go from blasting foes with a main gun to wheeling away in four wheels. It’s simple, fluid and works. Other attempts at the series have been — to put it kindly — epic wrecks of mediocrity.

With Transformers: Dark of the Moon, I had some worries. First off, it’s connected to the Michael Bay flick (not a good sign), and typically, movie-licensed games generally fail when it comes to quality. The second point of concern was Stealth Force. High Moon Studios was altering the game’s already excellent gameplay mechanics by introducing a new form that acts as a midway transformation between car and robot. When I saw the changes at GDC, I wondered how the team would integrate it.

SINGLE-PLAYER: After having some hands-on time with Transformers: Dark of the Moon recently, some of those concerns were allayed. Visually the game looks similar to War for Cybertron except the environment are more varied from underground complexes to South American jungles. I played through two levels and sampled the multiplayer.

From what I played, the new stealth force mode, which is only available on cars, works well. Players won’t really have to switch between three forms. Going into a vehicle mode automatically puts players into Stealth Force as I learned with Bumblebee. When they hit the L3 button again, they turn into a robot. So how does one transform into a full car? Players hold the left trigger down and this completes the car transformation. From there, players will be able drive around and leap over long gaps by pressing the A button for a boost.

Meanwhile, in Stealth Force mode, players will be able to strafe left and right by holding the left bumper. What makes this mode special is that it provides better armor while still giving Bumblebee access to his firearms. With the advantage of both worlds, it may seem as though there’s little incentive to be a robot, but High Moon Studios fixes this through perks and an expanded arsenal.

As a robot, players can toss grenades with a Y button. They also have access to their special powers. For Bumblebee, his perks are a special melee move and a radar enhancement that shows all the enemies on the screen.

On Megatron’s level, his powers are especially useful. The Decepticon leader can suck the life force from his enemies, and during the siege on his lair, he can suck the energy out of Autobots and add it to his life. Later on, Megatron grabs some plutonium and that enables him to power his hatchlings, which he can send out to kill his foes. It’s another perk that’s part of his arsenal. With each level inTransformers: Dark of the Moon devoted to a specific transformer that means there’ll be plenty of perks for players to experiment with an learn.

MULTIPLAYER: I only played this part of the game for a few minutes, but I did manage to get some insight to the online multiplayer. It was one of my favorite parts of War for Cybertron. In this Transformers project, High Moon Studios had to fit their art style to the Michael Bay movies. That meant some of the arenas are in human cities, and the maps come from actual levels that have been squared off and boxed in to fit a multiplayer spec.

Despite this, the matches still pit teams of 5 against each other. Players still choose between different classes, but instead of making your own transformer, you have to pick robots from the movie. That means players will be fighting as Optimus or Megatron. Each class is pegged to a certain character. The one thing you can do is customize your color scheme so not everyone will look the same. You can even get Starscream to wear the Hulk Hogan’s yellow and red colors.

As for the challenges, High Moon Studios had to rebalance the gameplay because one class of characters, the cars, had the optional Stealth Force mode that planes and tanks don’t have. In addition, players will at least see three modes (others haven’t been announced yet). They include conquest, team deathmatch and deathmatch.

Overall, I had a good time with the game. I needed to give more time with the multiplayer, but I suspect that the map design may not be as good because the developers loped it off from levels of the single-player campaign. I actually really liked the thought-out design from War for Cyberton. It was one of the more enjoyable parts of the game because every class from planes to tanks had a role and a way of succeeding in a map with different nooks and passageways.

If the game still piques your interest, you don’t have to wait long to get it in your hands. The game, which sets up the story for the third movie, will be released June 14. The film itself will be released June 29.

When High Moon Studios released Transformers: War for Cybertron, it was prelude in more ways than one. The game itself told the story about the Autobot and Decepticon conflict before the two parties landed on Earth. At the same time,… Continue Reading →

When High Moon Studios released Transformers: War for Cybertron, it was prelude in more ways than one. The game itself told the story about the Autobot and Decepticon conflict before the two parties landed on Earth. At the same time, the developer worked on capturing the feel of being a robot in disguise. Combat felt instinctive and switching between robot and vehicle modes was seamless. For all intents and purposes, War for Cybertron was the first Transformers game that clicked.

A year later, that same studio is working toward the release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which presumably will arrive around the time the move comes out this summer. Last month, High Moon Studios game director Sean Miller spoke at an event and introduced the upcoming title as a prologue for the movie. He said, it’s supposed to give background on the film’s characters and create a narrative that resonates with the movie.

From the look of it, Dark of the Moon plays similarly to War for Cyberton. Playing as a robot turns the game into a third-person shooter, where players can run and gun and use special abilities. Instantly by pressing the R3 button, they can turn into a car and drive away if they’re in trouble or shift around to flank an enemy.

The one new feature to combat is a Stealthforce mode that’s in between vehicle and robot. For the super nerdy, it’s almost like Gerwalk mode on a VF-1 Valkyrie. It gives players the best of the both worlds. They get the benefit of the higher armor and maneuverability from a vehicle, and simultaneously, they can access their weapons as a robot.

From the levels I’ve seen, the campaign lets players experience the conflict through eyes of Autobot and Decepticon. They can expect to play as Bumblebee, Ironhide, Soundwave and Starscream with levels that work toward their strengths. Bumblebee’s level is fairly conventional and takes him to the jungle where he’ll be battling Decepticons. Meanwhile, Ironhide’s stage is set in war-torn Detroit, and he’ll have to use his considerable weaponry to turn the tide. Using the Stealthforce basically turns him into a giant tank.

On the Decepticon side, Soundwave is playable. He’s an SUV-type vehicle and as his name implies, he uses sound as a weapon. In addition to normal attacks, he also has an EMP blast that can disable those around him. Starscream’s stage was the most interesting of the bunch. It’s a flying level where he actually attacks Stratosphere, the enormous cargo plane that ferries the Autobots from one part of the globe to another. It’s a flying fortress with multiple guns and cannons, and as Starscream, players go on the offensive in a memorable, fast-paced duel that reminds me of Afterburner.

Lastly, I saw two more Transformers. One was Megatron who is still recovering from the beating Optimus gave him in the last film. The Decepticon leader was still messed up, and he’s trying to regain his strength and rebuild his arm. High Moon Studios showed off his power to drain his foes’ health and grow his limb back. The other level featured Soundwave’s sidekick — Laserbeak. The robot looks like a vulture and he moves like the carrion animal, flapping its wings to fly and moving about a level. Laserbeak is supposed to complement Soundwave. I can see the two working together to solve slight puzzles in levels.

It definitely seems as though High Moon Studios is carrying over the success and lessons of one Transformers game and moving it to another. But what seems to separate Dark of the Moon from War for Cyberton though is that the campaign seems more thought out and varied. Here’s hoping the game fulfills the promise it’s shown when Dark of the Main is released later this year.